Authors in History

Donald Davidson was born in 1893, in Campbellsville, Tennessee. The most profound influence in his early life was his father, who provided his young son instruction in the classical languages and read a great deal to his children in the evenings. These readings fostered Davidson’s interest in literature. Another source of influence in Davidson’s life…

Louise Littleton Davis, historian and journalist, was born in Paris, Tennessee, one of the five children of Grover C., a career United States army officer, and LaRue Littleton Davis, a musician. Although born in Paris, she left the state at an early age. She was educated in the public schools of St. Louis, at Washington…

Harry Norman Dean, formerly of Cartersville, was a resident of Cleveland, Tennessee from 1971 until his death in 2008. Mr. Dean received his B.A. from Carson Newman College and M.A. and ED.S. degrees from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He served in the field of education for more than thirty-five years. He was employed…

A brilliant, eccentric, and complex man, James Dickey was not afraid to express his opinion and step outside the traditional creative boundaries of writing to explore new and unique forms. His fascination with nature and exploring the beast within man became an essential part of his legacy. Dickey was born in Buckhead, a suburb of…

Robert Young Drake, Jr. was born in Ripley, Tennessee on October 20, 1930. He attended Vanderbilt University, receiving his B.A. in 1952 and M.A. in 1953, and Yale, receiving another M.A. in 1954 and his Ph.D. in 1955. Drake taught at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1955-58), at Northwestern University (1958-61), at the…

Will Allen Dromgoole was born in Murfreesboro, the last child of John Easter and Rebecca Blanche Dromgoole. When she was six, Dromgoole changed her middle name to Allen, and throughout her life was known as Will Allen or “Miss Will.” In 1876 Dromgoole graduated from the Clarksville Female Academy and studied at the New England…

How to Be Less Stupid About Race

By Crystal Fleming
Beacon Press
256 pages
$23.95

“Fleming offers a crash course in what will be a radically new perspective for most and a provocative challenge that should inspire those who disagree with her to at least consider their basic preconceptions . . . . A deft, angry analysis for angry times.”